our lives are made in these small hours...

today it snowed. there is such pause with snow.  it seems to slow everything down.  i got to have coffee with all my bff's.  everyone made it, which is a rarity. it was a long leisurely morning.  there was laughter and stories and deep conversations.  it made me so grateful to have them in my life. 

during the week my brain requires so much day time vigilance that by the time the weekend comes
it says -  "i protest."  i refuse to stress out over one more silly email.  it says take a moment and relax.
but still, in my mind i have a mental list of emails i need to return, thank you notes i want to write, books i
want to read, quotes i want to remember. but here i am just blogging.  today was a hang around and cook
and shop and take care of me day.  everyone needs those right?

and tonight was a snowy, cold,  eat comfort food kind of night.  a hang around in front of the
fireplace evening.  so we did just that.

and ate this....

homemade chicken pot pie with pastry crust.

ingredients


1 cup potatoes, diced
1 cup onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
1 sheet of puff pastry

directions

preheat oven to 400°F.

saute onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in butter for 10 minutes.
add flour to sauteed mixture, stirring well, cook one minute stirring constantly.
combine broth and half and half.
gradually stir into vegetable mixture.
cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.
stir in salt and pepper; add chicken and stir well.
pour into shallow 2 quart casserole dish and top with puff pastry (or individual ramekins)
cut slits to allow steam to escape.
bake for 40-50 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly and cooked through.


i made these in individual dishes and cut circles of puff pastry to cover.




we ended the evening with pear bread pudding and vanilla ice cream.....

pear bread pudding.

ingredients


2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
5 slices soft whole-wheat or white bread, each cut in half (i cut mine into quarters)
2 pears, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


directions

1.heat oven to 375º F.

2.butter a 9-inch square pan.

3.in a saucepan, heat the milk, sugar, butter, and salt until small bubbles form. in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, then add the warm milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly.

4.layer the square pan with the bread. top with the pears. (i honestly would have sauteed the pears in some butter to soften them for next time) my pears were not ripe enough. 
pour the milk-egg mixture into the baking pan and sprinkle with the cinnamon.

5.bake until golden, about 40 minutes.  serve warm.


love sent, xo